meaning of company names: from “IBM” until “Osram”
- IBM is abbreviation for International Business Machines.
Altough founded in 1911 as Computing- Tabulating- Recording Company, in 1924 the name changed in IBM
founded: 1911 – USA, New York
founder(s): Charles Ranlett Flint
- ICICI Bank is an abbreviation for International Credit and Investment Corporation of India
founded: 1955 – India, Vadodara
founder(s): initiative of the World Bank
- IKEA is abbreviation for founder Ingvar Kamprad, Elmtaryd Agunnaryd.
Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd is the name of the farm and village Ingvar grew up.
founded: 1943 – Sweden, Almhult
founder(s): Ingvar Kamprad
- IMF is abbreviation for International Monetary Fund
The idea for the IMF started in 1944 when 45 countries met in Bretton Woods
founded: 1945 – USA, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
founder(s): 29 countries signed the Articles of Agreement
- Infosys stands for INFOrmation SYStems
founded: 1981 – India, Pune
founder(s): N.R. Narayana Murthy with 6 co-founders
- ING is abbreviation for International Netherlands Group.
Started 1927 as Nederlandsche Middenstand Bank.
founded: 1991 – Netherlands, Amsterdam
founder(s): merge from Nationale-Nederlanden and NMB Postbank
- Intel stands for INTegrated Electronics.
Started as N M Electronics
founded: 1968 – USA, Mountain View, California
founder(s): Robert N. Noyce and Gordon E. Moore
- J.C. Penny stands for founder J.C. Penny.
His first store was named “The Golden Rule” and from 1913 J.C. Penny Company. The company has faced financial trouble for several years and on May 15, 2020 they filed for Chapter 11
founded: 1902 – USA, Kemmerer, Wyoming
founder(s): James Cash Penny
- JBL is abbreviation for founder James Bullough Lansing.
The company was first called Lansing Sound, Inc.
founded: 1946 – USA, Los Angeles, California
founder(s): James Bullough Lansing
- JLL is abbreviation for Jones Lang and LaSalle
founded: 1999 – USA,
founder(s): merge from Jones Lang Wootton and LaSalle Partners
- Johnson & Johnson stands for founders; the three brothers Johnson
founded: 1886 – USA, New Brunswick, New Jersey
founder(s): Robert Wood, James Wood and Edward Mead Johnson
- JVC is abbreviation for Japan Victor Company.
Victor Company of Japan, Ltd was the Japanese subsidiary of the US firm, The Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan. JVC developed the VHS video cassette format.
founded: 1927 – Japan, Yokohama
founder(s): subsidiary of a US firm
- JXD Electronics is abbreviation for JinXing Digital
founded: 1995 – China, Shenzhen
founder(s): ??
- KFC is abbreviation for Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Harland Sanders started in 1930 in North Corbin, Kentucky a Sanders Court & Cafe. But the first real KFC was opened in 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
founded: 1930 – USA, North Corbin, Kentucky
founder(s): Harland David Sanders
- Kmart stands for founder S. Kresge Mart.
Already in 1899 he opened his first store in Detroit; S.S. Kresge Company
founded: 1962 – USA, Garden City, Michigan
founder(s): Sebastian Spering Kresge
- Knorr stands for founder C. Knorr.
He started by opening a factory, chicory to the coffee industry, in Heilbronn
founded: 1938 – Germany, Heilbronn
founder(s): Carl Heinrich Knorr
- Kohl’s stands for founder M. Kohl.
In 1927 he openend a grocery store in Milwaukee. But Kohl’s really started in 1962 by opening a Kohl’s department Store in Brookfield
founded: 1962 – USA, Brookfield, Wisconsin
founder(s): Maxwell Kohl
- Kroger stands for founder B. Kroger.
His motto: Be particular. Never sell anything you would not want yourself
founded: 1883 – USA, Cincinnati, Ohio
founder(s): Bernard “Barney” Kroger
- L & T is abbreviation for founders Larsen & Toubro.
Two Danish engineers who worked in India
founded: 1938 – India, Bombay
founder(s): Henning Holck-Larsen and Soren Kristian Toubro
- Lay’s stands for founder H. Lay.
He started by only selling potato chips. In 1938 he bought his supplier and transformed it into H.W. Lay & Co. In 1944 abbreviated to Lay’s (Potato Chips)
founded: 1932 – USA, Nashville, Tennessee
founder(s): Herman Warden Lay
- LEGO is abbreviation for LEg GOdt (mening “play well”
Started in 1932 by making wooden toys. In 1934 the name LEGO was introduced. But in 1958 the LEGO bricks, as we nowadays know it, were introduced
founded: 1934 – Denmark, Billund
founder(s): Ole Kirk Christiansen
- Linde Group stands for founder C. von Linde.
Original name Gesellschaft fur Linde’s Eismachinen Aktiengesellschaft
founded: 1879 – Germany, Höllriegelskreuth
founder(s): Carl von Linde
- Lockheed Martin founded through a merge from Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta.
Lockheed Co. founded in 1926 by Allan Lockheed, and others. Martin Marietta founded in 1961 through merge of Glen L. Martin Co. and American-Marietta Co.
founded: 1995 – USA, North Bethesda, Maryland
founder(s): through merge
- Lord & Taylor stands for founders S. Lord and G.W. Taylor.
In 1824 Samuel Lord opened his first store. In 1826 he opened a store from which Lord & Taylor has evolved. In 1834 his cousin George Taylor joined and the name was changed in Lord & Taylor. Unfortunately they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on August 2, 2020
founded: 1829 – USA, New York
founder(s): Samuel Lord and George Washington Taylor
- L’Oreal originated from Aureale.
A hair dye Eugene had developed and called Aureale
founded: 1909 – France, Paris
founder(s): Eugene Louis Schueller
- Lowe’s stands for the founder L.S. Lowe.
Lowe opened his first store as Lowe’s North Wilkesboro Hardware. But in 1946 H. Carl Buchan took over and started a chain of hardware stores
founded: 1946 – USA, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
founder(s): Carl Buchan and Lucius Smith Lowe
- M & M is abbreviation for founders F. Mars and B. Murrie.
Forrest Mars, son of Mars founder Frank Mars, got the idea in the 1930’s when he ate “Smarties”; a candy fom the UK: chocolate pellets with a colored shell
founded: 1941 – USA, Newark, New Jersey
founder(s): Forrest Edward Mars Sr. and Bruce Murrie
- Macy’s stands for founder R.H. Macy.
Started in 1843 by opening retail dry goods stores in Haverhill Massachusetts, they failed. In 1858 he moved to New York and had more success….
founded: 1858 – USA, New York
founder(s): Rowland Hussey Macy
- Marriott stands for founder J.W. Marriot.
It began as food stand, The Hot Shoppe. In 1957 the first Marriott hotel was opened in Arlington County, Viriginia
founded: 1927 – USA, Washington, D.C.
founder(s): John Willard Marriot
- Marshalls stands for founder A. Marshall
founded: 1956 – USA, Beverly, Massachusetts
founder(s): Alfred Marshall, Bernard Goldston and Norman Barren
- Martini & Rossi stands for founders A. Martini and L. Rossi. Started as Martini, Sola & Cia. The Sola family left in 1879 and the name became Martini & Rossi
founded: 1863 – Italy, Turin
founder(s): Alessandro Martini, Luigi Rossi and Teofile Sola
- Mattel is abbreviation for the founders H. Matson (MATT) and ELliot Handler
founded: 1944 – USA, Hawtorne, California
founder(s): Harold Matson, Elliot and Ruth Handler
- McDonald’s stands for founders R. and M. McDonald.
McDonald’s started as a hamburger stand. But after that Ray Kroc joined, 1955, the first “real” McDonald’s was openend in Des Plaines, Illinois
founded: 1940 – USA, San Bernardino, California
founder(s): brothers Richard James (Dick) and Maurice James (Mac) McDonald
- Microsoft stands for Micro-Soft.
The name Microsoft was suggested by Paul Allen
founded: 1975 – USA, Albuquerque, New Mexico
founder(s): Bill Gates and Paul Allen
- MRF is abbreviation for:
Madras Rubber Factory
founded: 1946 – India, Madras
founder(s): K.M. Mammen Mappilai
- Neiman Marcus stands for the founders H. Marcus, his sister C.M. Nieman, and brother in law A.L. Neiman. Due to corona they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2020
founded: 1907 – USA, Dallas, Texas
founder(s): Herbert Marcus Sr, Carrie Marcus Nieman and Abraham Lincon Neima
- Nestle stands for founder H. Nestle.
Started as Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co. But in 1905 the name Nestle was introduced
founded: 1866 – Switserland, Cham
founder(s): Heinrich (Henri) Nestle
- Nike is named after the Greek god of victory.
Started as Blue Ribbon Sports as a distributor for Japanese shoes (Asics). In 1971 renamed to Nike
founded: 1964 – USA, Eugene, Oregon
founder(s): Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman
- Nikon stands for the original name of Nippon Kōgaku, meaning “Japanese Optical”
founded: 1917 – Japan, Tokyo
founder(s): merge from 3 optical manufacturers
- Nokia from an neigbouring town.
Started by opening an pulp mill.
founded: 1865 – Finland, Tampere
founder(s): Frederik Idestam
- Nordstrom Rack stands for founder J.W. Nordstrom
founded: 1973 – USA, Seattle, Washington
founder(s): John Wilhelm Nordstrom
- Oracle is abbreviation for Oak Ridge Automatic Computer and Logical Engine
founded: 1977 – USA, Santa Clara, California
founder(s): Larry Ellison, Bob Minor, Ed Oates
- Osram stands for OSmium and wolfRAM, elements used for the lighting lamp
founded: 1906 – Germany, Berlin
founder(s): Carl Auer von Welsbach